Null
A null is an invisible field in which sorcery, the powers of a wizard, do not function. In the Black Company series, only Darling is seen to be gifted in such a way, and, by deduction, the historical woman called the White Rose must have had this power as well. Overview The wizard One-Eye was familiar with nulls, and in Shadows Linger, he explained Darling's ability as follows: The null emanates naturally from the body, grows outward with age, and with practice can be expanded and shaped. Effects and limitations The null divests all wizards, regardless of their magnitude, of their sorcery. However, it cannot undo genuine transformations that were already effected by magic beforehand. So while it can defeat glamors, which are all actively maintained, it will not change someone back to their original shape if they truly transformed themselves. For this reason, the Lady was able to enter Darling's null personally, and remained undetected throughout her time in the Hole in the Plain of Fear, because she changed her physical appearance beforehand. Spells which were cast upon objects, like the imprisoning fetishes of the Barrowland, disappeared utterly when Darling came within range of them. The null field is itself subject to the laws of sorcery, even though its effects are anti-sorcery. This means, if the possessor of a null is subjected to the Rite of Naming, their null disappears forever. The "closing" portion of the Rite of Naming may even be completed within the null itself. But presumably the preceding rituals (which are never explained in the Annals) would need to occur outside the null beforehand. Detection Though a null is invisible, it can be felt like a physical sensation. This experience is most pronounced for sorcerers, for example Bomanz, who, upon entering Darling's null outside the Blue Willy, exclaimed: "Lords! She's strong! ... An incredible absorption, I feel helpless as a child". But, it can also be detected by those with no talents in sorcery whatsoever, like Croaker. The Lady, an ingenious strategist, devised a way to outline the null to the naked eye in The White Rose. She invented special smoke pots which, when dropped onto Darling's null from flying carpets overheard, outlined the border of the null for all to see. She demonstrated these (and other new tactics) personally alongside her new Taken and the Limper in aerial combat against Darling's fearsome army a few miles outside the town of Horse. History The original White Rose used her null to end the Domination. With her null, her armies, and many skilled sorcerers, she defeated the Dominator, his wife the Lady, and the Ten Who Were Taken, and imprisoned them within the Barrowland. Four centuries later, Darling – the reincarnation of the White Rose – used her null as the focal point of her New White Rose Rebellion against the Lady's Empire. It was especially potent against the new Taken until the Lady invented several brilliant technologies and tactics to defeat its effectiveness. When Darling and the Lady established a truce to become allies against the Dominator, the null was the absolutely essential foundation of his final defeat at the Battle of the Barrowland. But, at the end of that battle, the Lady used the Rite of Naming to strip away Darling's supernatural power, and her null disappeared permanently. Category:Magic